Landing gear



y 1, 1966 R. D. WARREN 3,253,839

LANDING GEAR Filed Aug. 16, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NVEN'TOR.

R. D. WARREN May 31, 1966 LANDING GEAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 16, 1965 14 &

7 mm W7 M 1 y m/W United States Patent 3,253,839 LANDING GEAR Roy D. Warren, St. Clair Shores, Mich., assignor to Fruchauf Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Aug. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 302,571 1 Claim. (Cl. 280-1505) complementary to such containers and removable wheel suspensions and that, in addition, is removable therefrom solely by the operator of the over-the-road vehicle.

The landing gear of the present invention has particular utility in combination with a shipping container of the type disclosed in application Serial No. 112,635, now

Patent No. 3,132,883, filed May 25, 1961 for Shipping Apparatus and assigned-to the assignee of the instant invention. Further, it is particularly adapted for use in combination with a wheel suspension disclosed in Patent No. 3,085,816 for Trailer Suspension and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention.

A landing gear in accordance with the present invention is provided with a pair of downwardly depending legs having ground-engaging wheels, respectively, that are vertically retractable in the conventional manner. The legs are rigidly secured to a pair of generally U-shaped channels that support a pair of interconnected internally disposed gears on transversely extending shafts, respectively. A crank extends externally of the channels for manual operation. Upper oppositely outwardly extending flanges on the U-shaped channels are engageable in complementary ways on the underside of, for example, a shipping container and a pair of gear racks, complementary to the gears within the channels, extend centrally of the ways so that, upon rotation of the gears by the externally extending crank, the landing gear is driven longitudinally relative to the container. In this manner one man can relatively easily longitudinally adjust or re move the landing gear from the underside of the shipping container.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is an improved landing gear for shipping containers, trailers and the like.

Another object is a crank-operated landing gear.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following specification, claims and drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a shipping container having the improved landing gear of the instant invention secured thereto.

FIG. 2 is a view taken in the direction of the arrowv 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of a modified gear train for the landing gear.

longitudinally relative to the shipping container 22 as will be described.

As best seen in FIGURE 2 of the drawings, the landing gear 20 comprises a pair of downwardly depending legs 30 and 32 comprising tubular upper sections 34 and 36 for the telescopic acceptance of wheel supporting lower end portions 38 and 40, respectively. Spaced pairs of wheels 42-44 and 46-48 are secured to transverse axles 50 and 52 on the lower end portions 38 and 40, respectively, for engagement with the ground. The lower end portions 38 and 40 of the legs 30 and 32, respectively, are retractable vertically into the tubular portions 34 and 36 thereof as by a conventional worm and nut mechanism (not shown). A conventional external crank 53 is provided to effect elevation of the end portions 38 and 40 of the legs 30 and 32, a transversely extending drive shaft 54 effecting concomitant elevation of the leg portions 38 and 40. Suitable cross braces 55 and 56 are provided-to stabilize the legs 30 and 32 in the conventional manner.

In accordance with the instant invention, the legs 30 and 32 are secured to a pair of longitudinally extending generally U-shaped channels 60 and 62, respectively. The channels 60 and 62 are of like-construction except for left and right hand orientation. Accordingly, only the channel 60 will be described in detail hereinafter.

As best seen in FIGURE 2 of the drawings, the channel 60 comprises a lower bight portion 64, laterally spaced vertically extending side portions 66 and 68 and oppositely outwardly directed flange portions 70 and 72. The leg 30 of the landing gear 20 is secured to the sidewall portion 68 of the channel 60 as by a plurality of rivets 74 (FIG. 3.).

The edge flanges 70' and 72 on the side walls 66 and 68, respectively, of the channel 60 are supported on a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending ways and 82 on a bottom face 84 of the container 22. The ways 80 and 82 are secured to the bottom face 84 of the container 22 as by a plurality of bolts 86 and 88, respectively.

In accordance with the instant invention the landing gear 20 is movable longitudinally of the container 22 under the bias of a gear 90 that is meshed with a complementary rack 92. The gear 90 is supported on a complementary shaft 94 that is journaled in the side walls 66 and 68 'of the channel 60. The rack 92 is secured to the bottom face 84 of the container 22 as by welding. Rotation of the shaft 94 and gear 90 thereon is effected "by an externally extending hand crank 96, it being apparent that clockwise rotation of the gear 90 as seen in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, effects rearward movement of the landing gear 20 relative to the container 22 and, conversely, counterclockwise rotation. of the gear 90, as seen in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, efiects forward movement of the landing gear 20 relative to the container 22.

Referring now to FIGURE 4 of the drawings, a modified gear train is provided that renders the landing gear 20 even more easily movable relative to the container 22. As seen in FIGURE 4, a crank effects rotation of a pinion gear 102 that is journaled on a transverse shaft 104. The pinion gear 102 is meshed with a relatively larger gear 106 which is supported on a shaft 108. A relatively smaller gear is also supported on the shaft 108 in meshing engagement with a rack 112. Thus an increased mechanical advantage is effected between the crank 100 and the gear 110 that is meshed with the rack 112 to facilitate movement of the landing gear 20. In all other respects the modified landing gear is similar to the landing gear 20 described hereinbefore.

From the foregoing description it should be apparent that the landing gear of the instant invention provides a practical solution to the problems of positioning and removal thereof from a shipping container by the operator of a motor vehicle. The landing gear is relatively simple and rugged in construction and utilizes a minimum number of parts that effect a relatively large mechanical advantage to facilitate positioning and removal thereof from the shipping container.

It is to be understood that the specific construction of the improved landing gear herein disclosed and described is presented for the purpose of explanation and illustration and is not intended to indicate limits of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the following claim.

What is claimed is:

A landing gear assembly comprising a shipping container having a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending ways on a bottom surface thereof, each of said ways comprising a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending channel support members spaced downwardly from the bottom surface of said container,

a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending gear racks secured to the bottom surface ofsaid container between the channel support members of said ways, respectively,

a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending channels of generally U-shaped cross section thereof, having outwardly extending flange portions at the upper edges 4 thereof for precluding relative rotation of said channels relative to said shipping container, said flange portions being slidably engaged between the channel support members of said ways and the bottom surface of said container,

a pair of ground engaging legs depending downward- 'ly from said channels, respectively,

a pair of drivably coupled gears supported by said channels, respectively, internally of the U-shaped cross section thereof and rotatable about aligned axes extending laterally of said channels, respectively, said gears being complementary to and engageable with the gear racks on the shipping container, and a hand crank drivably coupled to said gears to effect rotation thereof and movement of said landing gear in horizontal translation forwardly and reanwardly relative to said container, selectively.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,519,091 8/1950 Winn 280-430 2,710,201 6/1955 Winn .280-430 BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

LEO FIAGLIA, A. HARRY LEVY, Examiners.

W. D. MARCONTELL, Assistant Examiner. 

